Some of these reworkings are so good, in fact, it’s possible that they may completely supplant the originals as favorites in the Yagya canon.
The Barcelona-based Subwax Bcn label have been running a Yagya reissue campaign since 2012, starting with a remastered version of the extremely hard to obtain Rhythm of Snow, followed in 2013 by the critically acclaimed and equally rare Will I Dream During The Process?, originally released by Sending Orbs in 2006. The value of these remasters is somewhat questionable, however, as Rashad Becker has made some sweeping changes to the way the latter record sounds, with crushed treble and muffled mid, resulting in a muddy, muted experience by comparison. All in all, it’s a personal preference, but it does prove the enormous impact mastering can have on the sound of a record.
Fast forward to 2014, however, and Subwax Bcn surprised everyone with the announcement of the Will I Dream During The Process? (DeepChord Redesigns) on CD, an exciting proposal pitting two incredible artists of the genre against one another. Rod Modell’s DeepChord Redesigns disc is not a track-by-track reworking of the original, however, and instead takes four tracks—”But If These Words Are Heard” (1/2), “A Very Long Daydream” (3/4), “When They Stood They Let Down Their Wings” (5/6) and “Their Blood Is Black And Yellow” (7/8)—and produces two Redesigns of each, the first a radical dub-techno reworking followed by a second ambient version.
Initially this feels a little disappointing. After all, who wouldn’t want to hear a Modell Redesign of every track on the original album? The Redesigns themselves, however, most definitely do not disappoint, and the ambient versions, while exactly the same length and structure as their dub techno counterparts, are distinct enough to more than justify this approach. Even re-arranging the running order in an attempt to listen to the dub-techno or ambient Redesigns back-to-back reveals that the alternation is far more effective.
Some of these reworkings are so good, in fact, it’s possible that they may completely supplant the originals as favorites in the Yagya canon. Modell has consistently lightened the heady and often brooding source material with his Redesigns, such that even the darker “Their Blood Is Black And Yellow” is beatifically re-framed, first in lightning-flashed, tumbling beats and stormy sea-spray and then in cascading fountains of hiss and glittering synth jewels. “But If These Words Are Heard” has been pitched-shifted into lighter, more airy territory, though the melody and delicate vinyl crackle is still immediately recognizable, and the ambient Redesign is given a gently-pumping heartbeat.
The most radical Redesigns are those of “A Very Long Daydream”—an entirely ambient track in the first place—that are far enough removed from the original that I had to actually check with Modell which track these were Redesigns of. Once again pitch shifting the main melodic drones and tones, the original’s dreamy choral vocal chords, jets of steam and dramatic bass pulses are replaced by choppy chords, delicate hi-hats and rhythmic clunk, though for me at least, the ambient version with its metronomic ticking works best.
Perhaps the finest Redesigns here are those of “When They Stood They Let Down Their Wings”. There isn’t another Yagya track quite like this in existence even to this day, possessed as it is of some of his most dreamlike, close and narcotic melodies and textures. Modell’s two new Redesigns are equally essential, escaping the overpowering humidity and head-spin of original by launching it into the clouds. The first adds bottle rattle and clatter, tiny, darting FX sparks and a strange, yet somehow soothing background drill/drone, while the ambient version drenches you with clouds of water droplets and frozen crystals in a sun-dappled, rainbow arced mist.
Will I Dream During The Process? (DeepChord Redesigns) is essential listening for Yagya and DeepChord fans alike. Here’s hoping that further remix albums may be in the pipeline.
Chances are you will have missed out already on the chance to own this particular release on compact disc, as only a paltry 250 copies of the digipak were manufactured. This seems oddly conservative of Subwax Bcn’s, as this could have easily have sold at least twice that many copies with plenty of room for who knows how many additional digital-only sales. But if you can get hold of it, do.
Will I Dream During The Process? (DeepChord Redesigns) is available on Subwax Bcn.
